Kuwait’s top priority is fate of our missing citizens in Iraq: diplomat
Iraqi president to begin official visit to Kuwait Sunday
KUWAIT CITY, Nov 10, (KUNA): Unveiling fate of 369 Kuwaiti people missing in Iraq is on top of the Foreign Ministry’s priorities, a senior diplomat has underlined.
Nasser Al-Hayyen, Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organizations, made remarks to KUNA ahead of receiving part of Kuwait properties and national archive from Iraq, scheduled for Monday.
He said the foreign ministry has been pressing Iraqi authorities to intensify efforts to determine fate of missing Kuwaitis.
Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 and occupied the Gulf country for seven months before being ejected by an international coalition. During the occupation, Iraqi forces killed many Kuwaiti people and arrested hundreds others, as well as stealing public and private properties.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and his Deputy Khaled Al-Jarallah always call upon Iraqi officials they meet to double efforts regarding the issue of missing Kuwaiti persons, said Al-Hayyen.
He added Iraq would hand over next Monday books, films, a painting and a sword.
The Iraqi authorities had handed over in the past some properties found in Iraq, said Al-Hayyen who commended the authorities in Baghdad for their cooperation.
The Iraqi government said Tuesday it would hand state TV and radio archives back to Kuwait, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions.
Transfer
Iraqi Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Hazem Al-Yousefi informed Kuwait’s Ambassador in Baghdad, Salem Al-Zamanan, of the transfer, read a ministry statement.
Baghdad took the move in the wake of its commitment to enhancing bilateral relations, mainly in political and economic domains, and to resolve all unresolved predicaments, the archive matter included.
It comes “after efforts were exerted to search for and gather the Kuwaiti archives, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2107,” ordered by Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Al-Hakim, added the official.
United Nations representatives will be in attendance during the hand over, he said.
Meanwhile, President of Iraq Barham Saleh, accompanied by an official entourage, is due to begin an official visit to Kuwait on Sunday for holding official talks with His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah.
This was announced by an Amiri Diwan statement on Saturday.
Earlier in Baghdad, Iraqi Presidency said in a statement that the president would begin a Gulf tour starting in Kuwait to discuss with leaders of the regional countries how to build “best relations” with Baghdad.
The official Iraqi statement said that the president, during his talks with the Kuwaiti leaders, would discuss ways of boosting the bilateral relations, noting that his regional whirlwind tour will include the UAE.
This regional mission is part of Iraq’s efforts to build the best form of ties with the Gulf and Arab states, it said, in addition to setting up bases for good neighborliness, examining “economic and development integration.”